Sunday, November 30, 2008

I just got back from Amsterdam and brought several NWA crew members with me who were at the Oberi Hotel hotel when the terrorists attacked.

Here is an account from one of our NWA Captains:

Dateline Mumbai: Aircrew report

I was lucky. Just two hours separated me from a life altering event.Yes I was there. My flight was on approach to BOM when the first terrorist attacks took place.

Our ETA to the Oberi/Trident hotel was about 90 minutes later. The outbound crew was scheduled to be in the lobby about 20 minutes after the first attack at the hotel (10:30pm).

My crew spent 6hrs on the aircraft before being relocated to one of the airport hotels. In retrospect, NWA should have gotten us there immediately. We were the crew who would fly out of BOM.

Being off duty on the aircraft is not resting, and I correctly guestimated how most of the decision process was going to play out over the next 12hrs.

We were eating into what would be a 48hr period with (in my case) just 4hrs of sleep. I thought my day couldn't get much worse.

At this moment, I'm on a flight from BOM-AMSterdam. My crew members are all safe, and we have nine of eleven of the crew who were at the Oberi/Trident. Sadly, a pilot and FA are still at the Oberi, holed up in their rooms.

NWA hired two different civilian extraction teams to get them out of the hotel safely ... you know, expats - challenge/response passwords & all that James Bond stuff ...

That may have worked initially; but the hotel was locked down by the local military (to the exclusion of those rescue teams) and that simply provided the terrorists time to reorganize, take hostages, and prepare for a long standoff.

Flashback to Oberi hotel. Some stories from that unfortunate crew follow: (Apparently, a well built hotel muffles sound more than you might think ..... )

F/Attendant exits the elevator in the lobby of the Trident. The terrorists (probably) just gunned their way through the lobby, into a connecting hallway to the Oberi (their primary target).

Bodies and pools of blood everywhere. The two girls at the front desk, Bellman, and Doorman all killed in the initial attack.

All other people in the lobby were either shot/killed or helped the injured out of the hotel.

The F/A returned to his room then followed a housecleaner out through a (sort of) hidden stairway into the relative safety of the street.

I later found out the hotel manager, who lives in the hotel with his wife and children, were all killed in the initial attack. That may point to an ´insider helping the terrorists.

Another F/A goes to the elevator to head down to the lobby.

Doors open and the interior of the elevator was splattered in blood.

She returned to her room and got a few other F/A's and left that floor via the emergency exit. Once out on the exposed outer stairway, the fire door locked behind them.

If they ran into trouble down below, without another exit strategy, they'd be truly screwed.

Near the bottom, they heard a lot of commotion beyond a set of double doors. They were potentially stuck in a real bad situation. They backed up a bit, laid down and played possum (wouldn't have worked - no blood).

A few minutes later a police team came up to their position and escorted them to the relative safety of a nearby parking garage.

A male Chinese F/A was trying to escape the hotel following a hotel employee through a different pitch black service stairway. He opened a door to a short hallway leading into the lobby. Shell casings and damage littered the floor. He started into the lobby and came face to face with one of the armed terrorists.

Fortunately, he was not in uniform, and wearing a European style black leather jacket.. He didn't fit the victim profile.

He turned around, back through the hallway ... got out alive.

That crew eventually spent about 9hrs on an ascending ramp at a concrete parking structure about two blocks from the hotel.

The F/O on the scene separated that crew from perhaps 300 other confused civilians. Automatic weapon fire and hand grenade explosions permeated the restless night.

They were able to keep in touch with NWA security via an international cell phone. They got on a charter bus about 9am, and were transported to the hotel where my crew was located.

I'm now in AMSterdam. I'll be on a flight to civilization in another 3hrs. The two crewmembers stuck in the BOM hotel are still OK, but ... still waiting to be rescued ... along with Lufthansa and Air France crews.

The above was a quick summary of what happened last night. I could get into a Lot more detail. But right now, there's a shower with my name in it.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The ex-cheerleader (age 19) in the picture below was watching a road that led to a NATO military base when she observed a man digging by the road.

She engaged the target, and she shot him.

Turned out he was a bomb maker for the Taliban and he was burying an IED that was to be detonated when a U.S. patrol walked by 30 minutes later. It would have certainly killed and wounded several soldiers.

The interesting fact of this story is the shot was measured at 725 yards.

She shot him as he was bent over burying the bomb. The shot struck him in the butt blowing him into the bomb which detonated.

He was blown to pieces. The Marines made a motivational poster of her.

WASHINGTON – When the Council on American-Islamic Relations held its 14th Annual Banquet at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel tonight, it was planning to raise funds and honor some of its supporters, but instead several top officials of the Muslim lobby group were served with a summons and complaint for various civil and criminal offenses.

The dramatic surprise, caught on video, was a result of the research work of the Mapping Sharia Project, headed by Dave Gaubatz. He personally served CAIR Director Nihad Awad at the banquet tonight while Democratic North Carolina state Sen. Larry Shaw, a CAIR national board member, was addressing the festivities.

Four CAIR clients have filed a federal civil complaint alleging criminal fraud and racketeering against CAIR, a self-described public interest civil rights law firm.

The lawsuit also names CAIR's national leadership as individual defendants. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that Morris Days, the "resident attorney" and "manager for civil rights" at the now defunct CAIR MD/VA chapter in Herndon, Va., was in fact not an attorney and that he failed to provide legal services for clients who came to CAIR for assistance and who had paid for CAIR legal services.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Spain: detained Basque militant was top ETA leaderPosted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 10:45amA Basque separatist militant arrested this week in France was the overall leader of the armed group ETA and a retaliatory attack is likely, Spain's interior minister said Wednesday. Full StoryUK net immigration up to 237,000Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 10:46amNet immigration to the UK increased to 237,000 in 2007, according to the Office for National Statistics. That is 46,000 more than in 2006 - as a result of emigration falling faster than immigration. Full Story

Politkovskaya trial doors closedPosted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 10:47amThe trial of three men charged over the murder of prominent Russian reporter Anna Politkovskaya will be held behind closed doors, the judge has ruled. The judge reversed his earlier decision that it would be open to the public, saying jurors had refused to enter the courtroom in the presence of the media. Full Story

Congo rebel pullback raises hopes for peace talksPosted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 11:39amHundreds of Congolese rebel fighters pulled back on Wednesday from frontline positions in a move U.N. peacekeepers hoped would open the way for talks on ending weeks of conflict in east Congo. U.N. foot and air patrols were monitoring the withdrawal of renegade General Laurent Nkunda's Tutsi rebels from positions they had occupied after a rapid advance northwards in Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern North Kivu province. Full Story

Taiwan ex-president back in jail as probe wraps upPosted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 11:40amFormer Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian returned to jail on Wednesday from almost three days of hospital care following a hunger strike, as supporters prepared to protest his arrest, which they call a political plot. A probe into the ex-president's suspected role in several money-related crimes will be finished by year end, possibly leading to an indictment, a special prosecutor's spokesman said. Full Story

Strong quake strikes Panama, no damage reportedPosted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 11:40amA strong earthquake of 6.2 magnitude and at a depth of 30 miles struck Panama near the Costa Rica border overnight, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Wednesday. The quake hit 35 miles west southwest of David, Panama, at 1:11 a.m. local time. Full Story

China seeks to curb unrest amid global crisisPosted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 11:43amChina has told police to ensure stability amid the global financial crisis after thousands of people attacked police and government offices in a northwestern city in unrest triggered by a plan to resettle residents. After decades of solid economic growth, China is battling an unknown as falling demand for its products triggers factory closures, sparks protests and raises fears of popular unrest. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.ALSOHere in the USA, prison gangs of various kinds have been around for quite some time and we are used to it. And better able to handle them than the increasingly EuArab countries of Europe, specially Englandistan or Londonistan where sharia law already hlds sway in the civilian British population. American gangs, more often than not, even those espousing Islam, limit their conflicts to their own turf wars. They do not promote terrorism even though some like the MS 13 gang provide logistical support to foreign terrorists for money not ideology.

MUSLIM prisoners have launched a reign of terror inside a top security British jail.

The fanatics are forcing fellow inmates to convert to Islam or face punishment beatings.One man who stood up to the thugs was branded with a lump of hot metal, according to a prison source.The crisis at Whitemoor jail in Cambridgeshire has led to calls by staff for the 100 Muslim inmates there to be dispersed to other prisons round the country.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

This just appeared in the UK media, some three years after we originally reported it on this web site (and on AntiMullah):

"London—MI5 have warned Britain’s cash-strapped National Health Services that dozens of ambulances, along with old police cars and fire engines past their sell-by date–are being snapped up by al-Qaeda operatives in the United Kingdom to mount suicide bomb attacks.

So serious is the problem that counter-terrorism officials at the Home Office have written to eBay, the Internet auctioneer, asking them to stop selling emergency service vehicles, equipment and uniforms."This is being done worldwide, including here in the U.S.

The day after the US Presidential Elections, the following text was posted in a secondary al Qai’da forum. Obviously with the closures of the primary forums many of the members have started appearing on lesser known forums yet using the same names or forum identities.

Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar - Osama has made a worthy promise (America will not live in safety).Analysis: The person wrote extensively about the blackout across the northeast US and Canada some years back and indicates this will happen again.

They claim that they indeed caused the outage and will do it again. Below are excerpts from the text.In implementing the orders of the Emir of the mujahedeen Osama bin Laden (may God keep him) to strike the key U.S. Economy, the Brigades of Abu Hafs al-Masri find it important to strike a second time (facilities supplying) electricity in the eastern U.S., including the most important economic cities of America and Canada as America's ally in the war against Islam (the city of Toronto and New York) and (areas) around them.

(In their first strike) they caused the strike to prevent electricity for more than fifty million people. (OSPB* and security cannot explain how they had been sabotaged the signatories of that, God willing, the mujahedeen will use the same creative ways soon, God willing).

Further text indicates possible things that these people have on their terror "Wish- List" for the USA and Canada.Among the benefits of the strike – and the media will say:

1. That the U.S. Does not live in safety in order to achieve the conditions mentioned in the statement I and II, including the disengagement of prisoners of all the world, including Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, get out of Muslim land, including Jerusalem and Al-Jazeera and Kashmir.

2. The introduction of terror in their hearts, as they do with Muslims.

3. (We will) disrupt electricity to fifty million Americans and Canadians, which caused moral and material losses. It is not only our brother and sisters in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan ... Etc.. Only who, it must taste the same suffering American people.

Ten Reasons to Get Rid of the European UnionThis text was published at the Gates of Vienna blog in early October 2008.It is published here with some later additions.The EU Promotes Crime and Instability

=========

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Denmark's intelligence service said Thursdaythere is still a considerable threat from Islamic extremists againstDanes and Danish interests abroad.

ABU DHABI - Qatar plans to develop and install a command and controlsystem to monitor crime and terrorism.

Officials said the Gulf Cooperation Council emirate has drafted aprogram to procure and install hundreds of surveillance cameras tomonitor vital urban areas. They said the project would begin in theQatari capital of Doha and monitor people and vehicles.

Riad Abdelkarim Former Board Chairman of CAIR-Florida, former National Board member of CAIR, former Executive Committee member of CAIR-Los Angeles (CAIR-California), former Coordinator for CAIR's (dissolved) Independent Writers Syndicate (IWS), and former Secretary of IAP's (dissolved) sister organization, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF)

Abdelkarim served as the Secretary of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) in 2000, and shortly after HLF was shut down by the United States government, Abdelkarim founded KinderUSA in May of 2002.

(Testimony of Steven Emerson before the U.S. Senate Committee of Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, 'Money Laundering and Terror Financing Issues in the Middle East,' July 13, 2005) On May 5, 2002, Abdelkarim was detained by the Israeli government, which claimed he was using the charity that he founded and Chaired, KinderUSA, to "transfer money to sponsor suicide bombings." (Media Monitors Network, 'My Ordeal as a Captive in Israel,' June 12, 2002)

George Mason University is expanding its Islamic studies program with a $1.5 million grant (see check above) from a Northern Virginia-based think tank still operating under the cloud of a six-year federal terrorism investigation.

University spokesman Dan Walsch said the school wants to expand its Islamic studies, including using the money to have a chairman for the department and to "gain a better understanding of Islam's role in the world."

He also said school officials have had no direct contact with the government regarding the investigation into the Herndon-based International Institute for Islamic Thought and their understanding is the investigation is "dormant."

The flurry of subpoenas last year indicates that the investigation was more active in recent months than was previously known. Court filings indicate that the inquiry into terrorism financing and possible embargo violations began soon after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

========

SCHOOL BOARD CHOOSES NOT TO REAPPOINT HAMAS SUPPORTER TO THE SCHOOL BOARD’S DIVERSITY COMMITTEEJAWHAR BADRAN, A REPRESENTATIVE OF CAIR, HAD STATED THAT HAMAS IS NOT A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

(Fort Lauderdale, FL) On Tuesday, November 18th, the day his term ended, members of the Broward County School Board made a conscious decision not to reappoint or reassign Jawhar Sadallah Badran, a.k.a. Joe Badran, to the School Board’s Diversity Committee or any other committee ruled over by the School Board. Badran, on March 1st, was videotaped making statements in favor of Hamas.

The statements included him saying that Hamas was “not a terrorist organization.” As well, in July of 2006, Badran described himself to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel as a suicide bomber. He stated, “Hamas and Hezbollah are committing acts of defense against the acts of the Israelis. The only weapons that we have are to strap bombs on our bodies and do whatever damage and destruction we can.”

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

During several recent conferences concerning extremist radicalization and the web, I have frequently commented that the Internet can often serve as a double-edged sword for terrorist organizations: while it may certainly help facilitate their recruitment and communications, the web also offers a wide interactive arena for dissent within these organizations, and it increases the likelihood of overly-talkative terrorist leaders becoming ensnared in awkward Sarah Palin-like moments -- caught in the spotlight by virtue of their own language.

========CLICK ON LINKS TO READ FULL ARTICLES

Al Qaeda used to be the kings of propaganda, outmaneuvering the American media machine at every turn. Now, it's clear the terror group's information operators have stumbled, big time. The latest misstep: calling President-elect Barack Obama a "house Negro." That's right. The guys who used to kill people, just to get their death on tape, have been reduced to name-calling.

"You represent the direct opposite of honorable black Americans like Malik al-Shabazz, or Malcolm X," Al Qaeda #2 Ayman al-Zawahiri tells Obama in a newly-released video. "You were born to a Muslim father, but you chose to stand in the ranks of the enemies of the Muslims, and pray the prayer of the Jews, although you claim to be Christian."

"Malik al-Shabazz (may Allah have mercy on him) was killed, while you have climbed the rungs of the presidency to take over the leadership of the greatest criminal force in the history of mankind," Zawahiri adds. "And in you and in Colin Powell, Rice and your likes, the words of Malcolm X (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning 'House Negroes' are confirmed."

Somali pirates have been accused of forming what is described as an "unholy high seas alliance" with some of the country's Islamist insurgents.

Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor says certain insurgents are using pirates to smuggle weapons and supplies and help provide bases in return.

The London-based newsletter says pirates are also training Somali hardliners in naval tactics.

The links are traced to 2007, after Ethiopian forces invaded Somalia.The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which took control of much of southern Somalia in 2006, had cracked down on pirate operations in Hobyo and Harardheere.

They even freed a dhow captured by the pirates in August 2006.But after the UIC were ousted, various Islamic groups formed links with the pirates.

Maritime force

Bruno Schiemsky - who formerly monitored UN arms shipments into Somalia - says these links take a variety of forms:

Islamists have used the pirates to bring in arms shipments and foreign fighters, providing weapons and training in their use in return. They also help with bases from which the pirates operate

Hardliners, known as the Shabab, now have a degree of control over several pirate groups and provide operating funds and specialist weapons in return for a share of the ransoms being paid to free the ships and crew

As many as 2,500 young Somalis have been trained by the Shabab at points all along the Somali coast

The Islamists are using the pirates to train their own forces in naval tactics so that they can provide protection for arms being smuggled in Somalia from Eritrea.

SEOUL - It was one thing for 4,000 South Korean soldiers to have to go to northern Iraq to join a war that seemed remote from the country's immediate interests. It's quite another, however, for pirates to be threatening South Korea's lifeblood in the waters off East Africa. That seems to be the message as South Korean troops in Iraq give up the medical and engineering projects on which they've been working for the past four years and close down the operation. While that's going on, the South Korean Navy is preparing to fight against piracy in the waters off Somalia.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) should cut off outreach efforts with organizations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood or other Islamist extremist groups, a report from a ranking Senate subcommittee member recommends.

"Justice Denied: Waste & Mismanagement at the Department of Justice," is an 86-page report issued in October by the office of U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), the ranking Republican on the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.

The report generated attention for its criticism of the millions of dollars spent annually to send DOJ officials on junkets in luxury resorts such as Palm Springs, Cal. and Hawaii. And it noted that law enforcement officials routinely advise Hollywood producers in television and film projects without seeking compensation for their agencies.

But just as important is its detailing of DOJ outreach with questionable Islamist organizations, including two which are unindicted co-conspirators in a major Hamas support investigation. Those effortsshould stop, the report said:

=======

FBI increases reward for suspected eco-terrorists

Four suspects in arson of Vail Ski Resort believed to have fled overseasFour suspects part of cell linked to Earth Liberation Front$26 million arson is nation's most expensive case of eco-terrorism, FBI says

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryContact 202-282-8010Washington, D.C.

Mr. Heyman: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome. I'm David Heyman. I run the Homeland Security program here at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Today’s topic is general aviation security. And I thought I would just give a little bit of a background on it. It’s not a topic that we talk about every day, and I'm delighted to see how many people are interested in the topic, but it is an important one.

=======

(U) Recruiting Children for Terrorist Operations

(U) Scope

This bulletin provides law enforcement and other public safety officials with an awareness of the exploitation of children for acts of terrorism abroad and its implications for the Homeland.

(U) Key Findings

Children pressed into action by terrorists pose a threat to US persons and assets abroad. The FBI judges with confidence that there is no current credible threat of international terrorists deploying child operatives as terrorists in the United States.FBI assesses that terrorist groups in Iraq, Pakistan, and Algeria are recruiting children for acts of terrorism either as unwitting or indoctrinated actors. The FBI also confidently judges that terrorists employ a variety of coercive techniques, such as intimidation and reprisal, for recruiting children as operatives.

Terrorists train children in basic attack tactics such as suicide bombings, weapons handling, and support tasks such as radio operations. The FBI assesses with moderate confidence that this trend will continue in attacks where terrorists need to deceive law enforcement or military personnel.

Recruiting Children for Terrorist Attacks or Support Roles

• Open source reporting states that Jihadi groups entice or force children into training in the forested mountains of Kashmir Valley. In August 2003, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba reportedly kidnapped a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old and told their families and each village that they had to contribute onerecruit or face reprisals.

• According to foreign Internet reporting, al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) used cyberspace for propaganda to recruit young persons; that group ran a training camp for these children on the Heights of Thenia, Boumerdes, Algeria, in September 2007. Teenagers, aged 14 to 18, had been enlisted and trained to handle weapons and perpetrate suicide attacks.

• According to a respected print publisher, in August 2008, radical supporters of a local cleric recruited schoolboys in Tank, Pakistan, to fight against government forces.

Training Children in Tactics and Weapons• According to Indian press, Hizb-ul Mujahideen are forcibly recruiting children from the nomadic tribes of Gujjars and Bakerwals, then training them to use AK-47 rifles and handle explosives.They trained others to operate radios for reconnaissance operations.

• Afghan media reports from July 2007 cite a case of terrorists donning a 6-year-old child in an explosive vest, then directing him to walk to a vehicle and push a button—the child was not aware of the consequences.

Foiled Terrorist Plots Involving Children

• According to media reports, in May 2008, the Iraqi Interior Ministry announced discovering, in an abandoned house’s basement, six teenage boys trained as suicide bombers for use against Iraqi security forces. Each teenager had been equipped with suicide vests and given a date for his attack. Each was told his family would be harmed if he did not obey orders.

• According to media reports, in March 2008, Afghan security forces arrested several individuals, including a 14-year-old male from the North Waziristan area, when their explosive-filled car stalled.

(U) Outlook

The FBI assesses that terrorists will not likely recruit children in large numbers but will select a few innocent children, to exploit their inculpability for specific attacks or for specific support roles such as reconnaissance where operating incognito is advantageous.Although children are not likely to be recruited within the United States, terrorists may well attempt to employ children in future attacks against US assets abroad or possibly in the Homeland.

(U) Reporting Notice

(U) Recipients should immediately report suspicious or criminal activities potentially related to terrorism to their local FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and the DHS National Operations Center (NOC).

FBI regional phone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm . The NOC can be reached via telephone at 202-282- 8101 or by e-mail at HSCenter@dhs.gov.Source: FBI

Friday, November 14, 2008

North Korea: No sample-taking at nuclear sitePosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 8:15am

SEOUL, South Korea North Korea said Wednesday that it won't allow outside inspectors to take samples from its main nuclear complex to verify the communist regime's accounting of past nuclear activities. Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it never agreed to such sampling, contradicting statements by U.S. officials last month following a breakthrough deal about how to verify North Korea's list of nuclear programs the regime submitted in June under a disarmament pact. Full Story

15-year-old girl dies of bird flu in IndonesiaPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 8:17am

JAKARTA, Indonesia Indonesian health officials say a 15-year-old girl has died of bird flu. Agus Suryanto, who headed the team of doctors treating the patient, said the girl was from the city of Semarang, 250 miles east of Jakarta. She died late last week after 10 days of hospitalization. Full Story

India successfully test-fired a medium-range, surface-to surface missile on Wednesday, the defense ministry said. The new Shourya (Valor) missile has a range of 375 miles (600 kilometers), the ministry said in a statement that hailed the technology as "state of the art." India and longtime rival Pakistan routinely test-fire missiles. They usually notify each other ahead of missile launches in keeping with an agreement between the two nations. Full Story

Suicide bomber hits Afghan gov't office, killing 6Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 9:06amA suicide bomber driving an oil tanker detonated his explosives outside an Afghan government office during a provincial council meeting Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding 42, officials said. Full Story

Chavez says consul in Houston stripped of postPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 9:47amVenezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his former consul in Houston has been stripped of his post for moving the consulate in that city without permission. The U.S. State Department says the Venezuelan consulate recently moved to new leased office space before receiving permission.Full_Story

Mexico probes mass kidnappings by gunmenPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 9:51amPolice are searching for 27 farm workers who were kidnapped in northwestern Mexico, authorities said. Gunmen in at least 20 vehicles descended on the farm workers' homes Monday morning, roused them from sleep and drove away with 27 men, witnesses said.Full_Story

Venezuela sends Colombians to US for drug chargesPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:23am

Venezuela has deported two Colombian cousins to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. Venezuelan anti-drug chief Nestor Reverol says the two men are wanted on 16 charges related to drug trafficking.Full-Story

G-20 Pledges Unspecified Action on EconomyPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:48amFinance ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations and large developing economies say they have agreed urgent action is needed to restore stability in financial markets, but no specific plans were announced. Ministers from the so-called Group of 20 (G-20) say they agreed at a meeting in Brazil Sunday to take "all necessary steps" to restore confidence in global markets and minimize the risk of a future crisis.Full_Story

Mexican Government Fights Organized CrimePosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:51amDespite recent setbacks and continuing violence, the government of Mexican President Felipe Calderon is continuing its war against organized crime, including drug cartels and kidnapping gangs. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, Texas, successes in the past few days have bolstered that effort. The news out of Mexico in recent days has been dominated by incidents of violence and brutality, but authorities have scored some significant gains.Full_Story

German parliament moves to increase police powersPosted on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 5:16amAfter months of debate, Germany's lower house of parliament passed anti-terrorism legislation Wednesday granting federal police the capacity to spy on computers and tap conversations. Full Story

Somali Islamist militia seizes town near capitalPosted on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 5:24amResidents say Islamic fighters have seized the town of Elasha, just 11 miles (18 kilometers) southwest of the Somali capital. Full Story

Suicide attack kills 10 Afghans, US soldier: officialsPosted on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 5:24amA suicide attack targeting a coalition convoy in eastern Afghanistan Thursday killed an American soldier and at least 10 civilians, including a 13-year-old child, officials said. At least nine Afghans died at the scene of the blast, near a market in an area often crowded with people, the governor of Batikot district in Nangarhar province told AFP. Full Story

Iranian diplomat kidnapped, guard killed in Pakistan: policePosted on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 5:25amGunmen kidnapped an Iranian diplomat and killed his local guard in northwestern Pakistan Thursday, police said, in the latest of a series of attacks in the region. Full Story

Blast wounds 13 protesting Bangkok market vendorsPosted on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 5:26amA blast wounded 13 people in Thailand's capital early Thursday when assailants hurled an explosive device at market vendors who had gathered to protest a rent hike by new managers of the government-owned facility, police said. Full Story

UK Navy shoots pirate suspects deadPosted on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 5:33amThe Royal Navy has repelled a pirate attack on a Danish cargo-ship off the coast of Yemen, shooting dead two men believed to be Somali pirates. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the incident took place on Tuesday, when HMS Cumberland crew members tried to board a traditional wooden dhow. Full Story

China shares fall as stimulus plan optimism wanesPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 6:57amChinese shares fell Tuesday as optimism about the government's multibillion dollar stimulus package gave way to renewed caution about the economy and profit-taking, with losses led by financial stocks and other heavyweights. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed down 1.7 percent, or 31.19 points, to 1843.61 in thin trading. The Shenzhen Composite Index for China's smaller second exchange dropped 0.6 percent to 494.54. "The package encouraged pessimistic investors yesterday, but it usually at least takes three months for policies to be implemented. And anything could happen during the period," said Xu Zhiyuan, analyst for Capital Edge Investment & Management. "Investors preferred to pull out and watch the situation more after getting in." Full Story

Hijackers take convoy bound for US-led forcesPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 6:59amDozens of masked insurgents blocked a mountain pass and hijacked at gunpoint a convoy of trucks carrying military vehicles and other supplies bound for U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, an official said Tuesday. Attacks are common against supply trucks that use the Khyber Pass in Pakistan's northwest to ferry supplies to U.S. and NATO troops across the border, but Monday's raid was particularly brazen. Some 60 masked gunmen blocked the route at several points and assaulted the convoy, said Fazal Mahmood, an administration official for the Khyber tribal region. Full Story

Power shift in North Korea suspectedPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 7:00am

The brother-in-law of North Korea's Kim Jong-Il has become even more powerful since Kim fell sick, officials and analysts say, with some believing he is effectively standing in for the supreme leader. The influence of Jang Song-Taek has become greater than ever since Kim was reportedly hit by a stroke, Cheong Seong-Chang, of South Korea's private Sejong Institute think-tank, said Tuesday. "Jang is apparently in charge of receiving orders from Kim and channelling them (to state agencies)," he told AFP. Full Story

Sri Lankan troops take rebel townPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 7:01amGovernment forces in Sri Lanka have wrestled control of a small town from Tamil Tiger rebels in an ongoing military offensive, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. Troops fighting to secure a strategic road along the coast to the northern peninsula of Jaffna have faced stiff resistance from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The ministry said that the soldiers had taken Palavi, a small town on the road. It described the town as an LTTE "strongpoint." Full Story

Two ex-Bangladesh ministers freedPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 7:02amTwo former Bangladeshi government ministers being held on corruption charges were freed on bail Tuesday, just five weeks before planned elections, a prison official said. The former ministers of home affairs and health in Bangladesh's last elected government had spent more than a year behind bars as part of a crackdown on graft by the country's army-backed rulers. "They have been released this afternoon on bail after more than a year in the jail," deputy prisons chief Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told AFP. Full Story

Mexico hedges almost all of its oil exports for the coming yearPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 9:06amMexico is taking steps to protect itself from the oil price remaining below $70 a barrel in the clearest sign yet of the concerns of producer countries at the impact of the global economic slowdown on their revenues. The world's sixth biggest oil producer hedged almost all of next's year oil exports at prices ranging from $70 to $100 at a cost of about $1.5bn (#961m) through derivatives contracts, according to bankers familiar with the deal. Full Story

French 'rail anarchists' arrestedPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 9:41amFrench police have arrested at least 10 people in connection with a series of attacks on France's rail network. Police say those arrested were probably involved in sabotaging overhead power cables that disrupted national rail and Eurostar services over the weekend. Full Story

Venezuela markets itself as a hub for leftistsPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 9:42amThe Nepalese Maoist smiled as he glanced around the lobby of the Hotel Alba Caracas. To his left, West African delegates to the World Meeting of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity chatted in French. To his right, the Egyptian author of a book on President Hugo Chavez puffed on a cigarette. "This has been a most enjoyable forum, allowing us to learn from the glorious heritage of socialist revolution in Latin America," said the Maoist, Chandra Prasad Gajurel, 60, a Politburo member of the Communist Party of Nepal, which put an end to that country's monarchy in elections this year.Full_Story

Brazil pushes emerging nations rolePosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 9:55amFinance ministers and central bank presidents from the G20 group of developed and developing nations are meeting in Sco Paulo this weekend to try to agree proposals for the summit in Washington next Saturday. Brazil is expected to underscore its demand for greater influence over bodies such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which will also be also represented at the meeting.Full_Story

Mexico's president names new interior ministerPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 10:02amMexican President Felipe Calderon reached deep into his conservative political party Monday to name a new interior minister, replacing the senior official killed last week in a still-unexplained plane crash.Fernando Gomez Mont, a prominent criminal lawyer and son of one of the founders of the National Action Party, or PAN, will assume the second-most important government post at an especially critical time in Mexican history. A raging drug war has claimed thousands of lives, and political forces are badly divided over economic reform and a host of pressing issues.Full_Story

Former L.A. County probation clerk captured in MexicoPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 10:04amA former Los Angeles County probation department clerk who fled the country earlier this year after she was charged with bigamy and insurance fraud was captured in Mexico over the weekend, authorities said Monday. Damaris Ninet Amesquita, 30, was found Saturday by a bail bonds agent in Mexicali, said Los Angeles County district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons. Amesquita's two daughters, 9 and 11, and a 2-year-old boy she had falsely claimed was her biological son were found unharmed, Gibbons said.Full_Stroy

Colombia FTA Next Year?Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 10:11amThe US-Colombia FTA may be approved late next year despite president-elect Barack Obama's campaign rhetoric against it. While the U.S. Congress may vote on a free trade agreement with Colombia before Barack Obama becomes U.S. president in January, it is unlikely to do so, experts say.Full_Story

EU Ready to Revive Talks on Russia DealPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 1:18pmEU foreign ministers approved the re-launch of talks on a strategic treaty with Russia on Monday as the two most influential critics of any deal, Britain and Sweden, called for a return to negotiations. The European Commission said Monday it was prepared to resume negotiations with Russia on a new strategic partnership deal although no date had yet been set to do so. Full Story

Mexico Struggles with Drug Gang ViolencePosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 1:30pmMexican President Felipe Calderon is struggling to keep his war against organized crime on track after losing some of his top crime-fighting officials in a plane crash last week. The cause of that plane crash is still under investigation, but more than 4,000 people have died so far this year in violence connected to criminal gangs. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the United States could be drawn into the conflict south of the border. A U.S. official inspects debris from a plane crash in Mexico City which killed 3 high-level Mexican officials involved in the drug war, 05 Nov 2008The roster of violent crime in Mexico in recent weeks is alarming: headless bodies found hanging from bridges, policemen ambushed by assailants with automatic weapons, grenades dropped into a crowd of people in a public square, killing and injuring several.Full_Story

US Calls Bolivian Drug Charges AbsurdPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 1:33pmThe State Department Friday rejected as patently absurd a charge by Bolivian President Evo Morales that U.S. drug enforcement agents encouraged drug trafficking in Bolivia. Mr. Morales has given the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA, three months to cease operations in the country. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department. In another sign of frayed U.S.-Bolivian relations, the Bush administration has sharply rejected a charge by the country's leftist president of U.S. involvement in the local drug trade.Full_Story

Violence rocks NicaraguaPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 2:39pmFollowing a day of political violence that swept across the capital and other parts of the country after both of the main candidates for mayor of Managua declared victory in Sunday's hotly contested municipal elections, Nicaragua's private sector leaders are calling for a nationwide recount with the help of international observers. Cisar Zamora, president of the Nicaraguan-American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), told The Nica Times yesterday afternoon that his business chamber is finalizing a formal request to call for an internationally audited recount, following the government's refusal to accredit international or national observers to monitor Sunday's elections.Full_Story

Guatemalan Economic Model FailedPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 2:43pmThe economic model implemented in Guatemala since 1989 has failed to reduce poverty and foster growth, according to a report from the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) that will be presented here on Tuesday. During that period, the role of the State in regulating the market was restricted and the public administrative apparatus was reduced, two principles that are the pillar of neoliberal policies.Full_Story

Chavez Boosts Election DrivePosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 2:46pmPresident Hugo Chavez urged Tuesday the members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) to boost campaigning and registration for the next elections for mayors and governors. During a live show today on "Venezolana de Television" channel, the head of State continued what he called an electoral patrol operation of the PSUV, for the November 23 polls.Full_Story

Car bombings in Iraqi capital kill 4, wound 22Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:16amA bomb exploded in a parked car in a bustling section of downtown Baghdad early Wednesday, killing four people and wounding 15 others, police said, the third consecutive day of morning rush hour blasts in the Iraqi capital. Full Story

Iran test-fires new surface-to-surface missilePosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:17amIranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar says his country has successfully test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface solid-fuel missile. Full Story

Insurgents vow to resist security pactPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:18amTen Iraqi insurgent groups have agreed to escalate attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces to derail the proposed U.S.-Iraqi security agreement, an Internet monitoring service said Tuesday. Full Story

UK doctor on trial says he backed Iraq insurgentsPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:19amAn Iraqi doctor on trial for allegedly attempting a suicide bombing in Britain testified Tuesday that he supported Sunni insurgents in his homeland but felt no grudge against the British people. Full Story

UN urges Congo truce, might add more peacekeepersPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:20amThe U.N. Security Council moved closer Tuesday to approving 3,000 reinforcements for its overstretched peacekeeping force in Congo, as the U.N. chief called for a cease-fire to protect "at least 100,000 refugees" cut off by fighting in rebel-held areas. Full Story

North Korea to halt border crossings with SouthPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:22amNorth Korea ratcheted up its threats to sever ties with South Korea by announcing Wednesday that it will halt cross-border traffic next month over what it calls Seoul's confrontational stance against Pyongyang. Full Story

Three dead as car bomb rocks Afghanistan's KandaharPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:23am

A car bomb exploded near government offices in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar Wednesday, killing at least three people and wounding nearly 40, officials said. Full Story

US aid worker killed in PakistanPosted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:23amGunmen in Pakistan have shot dead an American aid worker and his driver in the north-western city of Peshawar. The men were killed just outside their office in the University Town area. It is not clear who the attackers were. Full Story

Spanish police repel migrants at border crossingPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 9:03amSpanish authorities say police have fired tear gas to repel around 150 African migrants who tried to force their way into the enclave of Melilla from Morocco. Full Story

5 Die in Shootout at Mexican JailPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 10:47amFive prisoners died in a shootout in a jail in the Pacific Coast city of Mazatlan on Friday, the authorities said. A sixth man was found hanged in his cell, but it was unclear if he had been killed or committed suicide. Full Story

New Cuba policy could hurt Caribbean tourismPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 10:48amFears are growing that the tourism industry in many Caribbean states could suffer if Barack Obama, US president-elect, decides to weaken or lift a long-standing US embargo on Cuba. US passport holders are now banned from going to Cuba. But if American tourists, the Caribbeans biggest group of visitors, were granted unrestricted access to what is potentially the regions largest tourism destination, a seismic shift could hit the region, said Rafael Romeu, an International Monetary Fund economist who has studied the issue. Full Story

Brazil oilfield may house 100bn barrelsPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 10:49amBrazils newly discovered pre-salt oilfields may contain more than 100bn barrels, Haroldo Lima, head of the industry regulatory, said on Friday. Mr Lima said just the pre-salt oilfields already under concession may contain between 50bn and 80bn barrels and that the total area could surpass 100bn barrels. Full Story

Pakistan president sees success in militant warPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 11:03am

Pakistan is succeeding in its fight against Islamic extremists close to the border with Afghanistan, even though the campaign is being hampered by U.S. missile strikes in the region, the country's president said Monday. Full StoryReports: Russian accident sub intended for IndiaPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 11:04amIndia's navy was supposed to lease the brand-new Russian nuclear submarine that suffered an accident over the weekend which killed 20 people, news reports said Monday. Full Story

Georgia urges EU not to resume 'business as usual' with RussiaPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 11:05amGeorgia called on the European Union Monday not to return to business as usual with Russia, saying Moscow was not respecting an EU-brokered ceasefire agreement. Full StoryExplosion kills 2 Georgian police near S. OssetiaPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 11:06amAn explosion killed two Georgian police officers early Monday near the disputed region of South Ossetia, an official said. EU monitors called the attack an unacceptable breach of the cease-fire that ended the Georgia-Russia war. The explosion in the village of Dvani was followed by a second blast when a group of police arrived to help, wounding three more officers, he said one seriously, Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said. He blamed Ossetian paramilitaries for the blast. Full StoryMilitants attack U.S. supplies in northwest PakistanPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 11:07amMilitants in northwest Pakistan hijacked 13 trucks carrying supplies for Western forces in Afghanistan on Monday as they passed through the Khyber Pass, a government official said. Most supplies, including fuel, for U.S. and other Western forces battling a Taliban insurgency in landlocked Afghanistan are trucked through neighboring Pakistan, which is also facing growing militant violence. Full StoryHamas and the Art of Time-WastingPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 1:14pmAn official Egyptian statement released the day before yesterday expressed regret over Hamas's decision to boycott the reconciliation talks with Fatah in Cairo and in the process wasting an opportunity for national unity, despite the strenuous efforts exerted by the Egyptians the statement said. Full StorySaudi Aramco to cut oil supplies to Asia in DecemberPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 1:17pmSaudi Aramco, the world's biggest state oil company, will cut crude supplies to Asia in December for the first time in at least a year as demand slumps for naphtha and diesel fuel. The Dhahran, Saudi Arabia-based producer will reduce shipments to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan by 5% to 6% below levels agreed under annual contracts, said five refinery officials, who received notices from the company. They asked not to be identified because of confidentiality agreements. Full StoryEtisalat investiges mobile network disruption in DubaiPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 1:31pmEtisalat is investigating the interruption in mobile networks in Dubai that started early on Monday. The interruption is believed to be in Etisalats GSM networks in Dubai, which affected landline to mobile phone calls. Full StoryLebanon arrests militants behind Syria attacksPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 1:32pmLebanese authorities arrested five militants suspected of involvement in attacks in Syria and Lebanon and of belonging to an Al Qaida-inspired Islamist group, security sources said on Monday. Full StoryFatah's security forces flex their muscles at Ain al-HilwehPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 1:34pmThe Western-backed Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas staged a show of force on Sunday in the largest of Lebanon's 12 refugee camps, the scene of recent clashes with Islamists. Full StoryJerusalem's Mayoral Race Reflects the City's Troubled TimesPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 1:36pmWhen Jerusalemites go to the polls Tuesday to elect a new mayor, they will choose among a man on trial in France for arms trafficking and money laundering, a self-made millionaire who wants to build thousands of Jewish homes in the heart of an Arab neighborhood, and an ultra-Orthodox rabbi who won't put his picture on his campaign posters. Full StorySpate of Attacks Leaves 12 Dead Across IraqPosted on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 1:38pmAt least 12 Iraqis were killed Sunday in a spate of attacks, many of them in provinces where much-lauded Iraqi-led security operations had taken place recently. Full StoryPhilippines ship, 23 crew seized near SomaliaPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:32amPirates hijacked a Philippines chemical tanker with 23 crew near Somalia, bringing the total number of attacks in waters off the impoverished African nation this year to 83, a maritime official said Tuesday. Full StoryTaiwan ex-president detained in laundering probePosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:34amFormer Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian, an anti-China firebrand known for advocating Taiwan's independence from Beijing, was in custody on Tuesday after being questioned for most of the day about a money-laundering case. Full StoryChavez says consul in Houston stripped of postPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:35amVenezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his former consul in Houston has been stripped of his post for moving the consulate in that city without permission. Full StoryAmerican tourist slain on sailboat in VenezuelaPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:36amAn American tourist was shot and killed, and a friend wounded, in an apparent robbery attempt aboard a sailboat on Venezuela's Caribbean coast, police said Monday. Full StoryAlgeria vote to end term limits angers oppositionPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:36amAlgerian lawmakers are expected to vote on Wednesday to lift presidential term limits, a move seen by the OPEC member's opposition as a ruse to let President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stay in office for life. Full StoryAustralia extremists accused of planning 'violent jihad'Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:37amFive Muslim extremists planned terrorist acts in Australia in pursuit of "violent jihad" because they believed Islam was under attack worldwide, a court heard as their trial began Tuesday. Full StoryIranian papers praise president's letter to ObamaPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:40amIran's president is attracting some support at home for his message of congratulations to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, which several newspaper commentaries said Tuesday presented an important opportunity. Full Story2 roadside bombs kill 3, wound 14 in BaghdadPosted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:41amA pair of roadside bombs exploded in quick succession during the morning rush hour in east Baghdad on Tuesday, killing three people and wounding 14 others, police and hospital officials said. Full Story

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Al-Qaeda-linked extremists are planning attacks intended to cause mass casualties in the UK, a top British intelligence report has warned.

The report, which has been prepared by the intelligence branch of the British Ministry of Defence, MI5 and Special Branch, warned that secret cells of al-Qaeda extremists based in London, Birmingham and Luton are planning attacks in the UK.

The so-called Government Security Zone (GSZ), an area which covers the Houses of Parliament, Whitehall, Buckingham and St James' Palaces, is a possible target of the al-Qaeda cells, with threat level in the GSZ described as "severe", the Daily Telegraph reported.

"For the foreseeable future the UK will continue to be a high-priority target for international terrorists aligned with al-Qaeda. It will face a threat from British nationals, including Muslim converts, and UK-based foreign terrorists, as well as terrorists planning attacks from abroad," the top intelligence report said.

According to the British daily, the report headlined 'International Terrorism' states that "some thousands" of extremists, many believed to have been trained in overseas terrorist camps, are active in the UK.

"The majority of extremists are British nationals of south Asian, mainly Pakistani origin but there are also extremists from north and east Africa, Iraq and the Middle East, and a number of converts," it warned.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

THE PATRIOT MICRO CHIP is intended to be implanted in terrorists. The implant is specifically designed to be installed in the forehead. When properly installed it will allow the implantee to speak to God. (Or Allah)

It comes in various sizes: The Implantee may or may not be allowed to choose the size. The implant may or may not be painless. Some bleeding and or swelling may occur at the injection site.

Some sizes

Injection method

Please enjoy the security we provide for you. Best regards, UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES

An extremist Muslim gets his laptop checked when he returns here from who knows where. Yes, Customs agents are actually trying to do their job.

It's hardly news and certainly not front page news. But it's both here in Detroit because anytime a Muslim gets a papercut or sneezes, we have to hear about how they are victims of something or another--usually something for which we're to blame.

Making a Muslim go through these things--things we all must go through because of Muslims who attacked our country and murdered Americans--is a no-no. Especially when a Muslim has to wait--in this case, a whole 20 minutes.

Myanmar withdrew two warships from the Bay of Bengal Thursday after a four-day standoff with neighbouring Bangladesh over mineral-rich disputed waters, a Bangladeshi naval official said. The tension between the two countries began after Myanmar sent warships to support a Korean company drilling some 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Bangladesh's Saint Martin Island. Bangladesh immediately deployed four warships to the area and warned it would take "all possible measures" to protect its sovereignty. Full Story

Rockets hit airport, power line bombed in NW PakistanPosted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 8:45am

Suspected Taliban militants fired rockets at the airport and blew up the main electricity transmission line in northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials said Thursday. A rocket hit the runway of Peshawar airport and two others exploded in the surrounding area at about 1:00 am (2000 GMT Wednesday) damaging the runway slightly, police official Dost Mohammad told AFP. This is the third time this week that rockets fired by suspected Taliban militants have hit the airport, which also houses the main airforce base. Mohammad said nobody had claimed responsibility for the attack, but the police suspected the involvement of Taliban militants and were investigating the incidents. Full Story

South Korea: No renegotiation of FTA with USPosted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 8:47am

South Korea said Thursday that a free trade agreement with the U.S. stands as is, resolving to resist possible calls to redo the deal by the new administration of President-elect Barack Obama. "I repeat that there will be no renegotiation, whether it's automobiles or any other issue," said Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon, according to a transcript of an interview with local radio network KBS. "We will respond by sticking to such a stance." Kim's comments came one day after his deputy Lee Hye-min told reporters that reconsidering the already signed agreement would be like opening a "Pandora's box" and "could damage the balance reached when the deal was concluded." Kim served as South Korea's chief negotiator for the U.S. agreement before becoming trade minister. Full Story

The streets of central Taipei came to a standstill on Thursday as tens of thousands of protesters chanted slogans and blew air horns to protest closer ties with China being promoted by their leaders. The demonstrators were determined to express their outrage at the presence of Chen Yunlin, Beijing's top negotiator on Taiwan affairs, who was heading a large delegation of Chinese officials and business people visiting the island. The protesters, mostly supporters of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), flooded into the plaza in front of the presidential office and were cordoned off from government buildings by riot police. Full Story

Pakistan sets death penalty for "cyber terrorism"Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 8:49am

Causing death through "cyber terrorism" will be punishable by death in Pakistan, according to a decree issued by President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes law will be applicable to anyone who commits a crime detrimental to national security through the use of a computer or any other electronic device, the government said in the ordinance. "Whoever commits the offence of cyber terrorism and causes death of any person shall be punishable with death or imprisonment for life," according to a copy of the ordinance, published by the state-run APP news agency. Full Story

Blast kills 11 in Russia's North Ossetia regionPosted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 9:04am

An explosion killed 11 people in the southern Russian region of North Ossetia on Thursday, law enforcement officials said. The blast occurred as passengers were getting out of a minibus near the main market in the center of the region's biggest city, Vladikavkaz, the Prosecutor-General's main investigative unit said in a statement. Full Story

Nearly 250 sickened by fumes at Spanish bomb sitePosted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 9:04am

Repair crews tearing down walls and ceilings at a university building hit in a Basque separatist car bombing released fumes that sickened nearly 250 people, a school official said Thursday. Full Story

UK interest rates slashed to 3%Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 9:07am

The Bank of England has made a shock one-and-a-half percentage point cut in UK interest rates to 3%, the lowest level since 1955. The size of the cut - the most dramatic since 1981 - signals the Bank's concern the UK is heading for a long recession, the BBC's economics editor says. Full Story

France on Thursday slashed its economic growth forecast for 2009 to 0.2-0.5 percent from 1.0 percent blaming fallout from the global financial crisis. Economy and Finance Minister Christine Lagarde told the Senate that the forecast for 2010 had been cut to 2.0 percent from 2.5 percent. Full Story

French police detain Basque separatist suspectsPosted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 9:10am

French police arrested half a dozen suspected Basque militants on Wednesday as part of a probe into the financing of terrorism, police officials said. Between six and eight people were detained in the southwestern Basque country as part of a preliminary inquiry to determine whether bars in the region had received funds from the armed separatist group ETA. Full Story

U.S. suspends some military aid to ColombiaPosted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 10:04am

The U.S. government told CNN it suspended military aid within the last week to three Colombian army units implicated in the extrajudicial killings of at least 11 innocent civilians. The official did not state how much aid was involved, and there was no immediate reaction from the Colombian government. Full Story

A suicide bomber attacked a gathering of anti-militant Pakistani tribesmen Thursday, killing 17 in a northwestern region where the military has clashed with insurgents for months, officials said. A purported spokesman for a little-known Taliban-linked group claimed responsibility. Full Story

Putin could return as Russia's President as early as 2009Posted on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 12:08pm

Report suggests that President Medvedev will make reforms to allow Putin to stay as president until 2021. Fresh doubt was cast today on the future of Dmitri Medvedev as Russia's President after a report suggested that he could step down next year to pave the way for the return of Vladimir Putin. Full Story

Thursday, November 6, 2008

One of Mexico's top pointmen in the war against drug trafficking died when a government jet crashed into a Mexico City street, setting fire to dozens of vehicles and dealing crusading President Felipe Calderon a serious blow. Officials said the Tuesday crash appeared to be an accident but the loss of Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino, former anti-drug prosecutor Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and six others thinned the ranks of Mexico's already embattled leadership. Full Story

Colombian Army Commander Resigns in Scandal Over Killing of CiviliansPosted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:47amThe commander of Colombias army resigned Tuesday after an investigation tied dozens of military personnel under his command to an intensifying scandal over the killing of civilians by the armed forces in what apparently were attempts to inflate the number of insurgents or criminal gang members killed in combat by security forces. The resignation of the commander, Gen. Mario Montoya, 59, an American-trained officer who won acclaim for battlefield achievements during his 39-year career, comes amid a broad shake-up in the Colombian military even as it celebrates a string of victories in recent months against leftist guerrillas. Full Story

Colombian rebels still keen for talks on hostagesPosted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:48amColombia's FARC guerrillas are still open to talking about hostage releases or a prisoner swap after a captive lawmaker escaped with a rebel deserter in new blow to Latin America's oldest insurgency. The FARC has proposed a dialogue with a group of academics, politicians and former captives, fueling hopes of reviving stalled negotiations with President Alvaro Uribe over more than two dozen hostages held in jungle camps. Full Story

D.C. hospital gets 'dirty bomb' sensorsPosted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 11:48amThe largest private hospital in the nation's capital on Tuesday began installing sophisticated new radiation detectors in an effort to better prepare for a terrorist attack with a radiological "dirty bomb." The sensors, which will be placed out of public view at the 926-bed Washington Hospital Center, will immediately let doctors, nurses and other hospital staff know if someone contaminated with dangerous radiation enters the emergency room or other areas of the hospital. Full Story

Syrian Anger Ebbs as Damascus is Implicated in Deadly U.S. RaidPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:15amThe angry reaction in Damascus that followed an attack on a Syrian village by Iraqi-based U.S. forces is dissipating amid reports that the Syrian authorities may have preapproved the commando operation that apparently went awry. Full Story

Iraqi lawmakers OK provincial council quotas for minoritiesPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:15amIraq's parliament Monday approved quotas guaranteeing minorities a handful of seats on the governing bodies of Iraqi provinces, a move that helped pave the way to regional elections but angered Christians who had demanded greater representation. Full Story

Iraq gets 'positive' signs from US over pactPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:37amA top Shiite lawmaker said on Tuesday that Iraq has received "positive" signals from Washington for the changes which Baghdad proposed to the draft security deal between the two countries. Full Story

Iraq VP proposes referendum on U.S. security pactPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:38amAn agreement allowing U.S. forces to stay in Iraq for three years should be put to the public in a referendum, Iraq's Sunni Arab vice president said on Tuesday. The pact, which will govern the U.S. presence in Iraq after a mandate from the U.N. Security Council expires at year's end, "must not pass without approval from Iraqis," Tareq al-Hashemi, who is one of Iraq's two vice presidents, said in a statement." Full Story

Business Booms Behind Baghdad's Security WallsPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:39amWhen U.S. and Iraqi forces built concrete barriers around the five square miles of his Baghdad neighborhood 10 months ago, Farooq al-Timimi saw a business opportunity. Clashes between Sunni and Shi'ite militias had turned the Saidiyah's commercial strip into a bullet-riddled no man's land, and the favorite local eatery, Sun City, had been shuttered for over a year. Full Story

Pro-Kurdish DTP officials arrested over illegal demonstrations in TurkeyPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:53amTurkey's pro-Kurdish DTP's Istanbul provincial chairman and district chairman, were arrested Tuesday on charges of organizing an illegal demonstration at the weekend, Dogan News Agency reported. Full Story

Turkey, Lebanon sign cooperation deal on terrorism and crimePosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 10:59amTurkey and Lebanon on Monday signed an accord on cooperation against terrorism, drug-trafficking and organized crime. The deal, details of which were not disclosed, was inked after talks between prime ministers, Fuad Siniora of Lebanon, and Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. Full Story

British anti-terror police arrest 19-year-old manPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 11:00amAnti-terrorism police say they have detained a 19-year-old man in northern England. Police say the man was detained in connection with five other arrests earlier this year but declined to give further detail. Full Story

Over thousands of German workers walk off jobsPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 11:01amTens of thousands of workers in Germany's engineering sector are expected to walk off their jobs Monday to stress its demands for an 8 percent pay raise. The strikes, which began Saturday, are to continue through Friday after the IG Metall union rejected an offer of 2.1 percent increased income in 2009 and 0.8 percent rise of annual salaries for the months of Nov. and Dec. Full Story

Naples raids net 88 'gangsters'Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 11:18amItalian police have arrested 88 people in a series of raids targeting the Naples mafia, the Camorra. Among those arrested was Gemma Donnarumma, the wife of Valentino Gionta, a suspected Camorra clan chief who is already behind bars. Full Story

Clashes as Russia marks unity dayPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 2:16pmClashes have broken out across Russia on National Unity Day, after ultra-nationalists defied official bans on holding marches. In Moscow, police arrested at least 200 people, some of whom gave a Nazi salute as they tried to rally in the capital. Full Story

Afghan Officials Aided an Attack on U.S. SoldiersPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 2:18pmAn internal review by the American military has found that a local Afghan police chief and another district leader helped Taliban militants carry out an attack on July 13 in which nine United States soldiers were killed and a remote American outpost in eastern Afghanistan was nearly overrun. Full Story

Suicide bomb at Pakistani post kills one, 9 hurtPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 2:19pmA suicide bomber killed a Pakistani soldier and wounded nine Tuesday, highlighting the growing militant threat a day after the top U.S. commander in the region held security talks with Pakistani leaders. Full Story

Rain stops in Vietnam but flood toll rises to 92Posted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 7:58amHANOI, Vietnam Pumps ran nonstop in the Vietnamese capital Wednesday to clear water following the city's worst rainfall in 35 years, in storms that sparked flooding across large sections of the country and left 92 people dead. Life in metropolitan Hanoi was slowly returning to normal after a halt in the rains, with floodwaters receding and residents cleaning up their homes. Full Story

NKorea says Kim Jong Il visits 2 army unitsPosted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 8:06amSEOUL, South Korea North Korea released a new batch of photographs of Kim Jong Il on Wednesday, apparently seeking to show that the country's absolute leader is not ill and has no problem in running the communist regime. South Korean and U.S. officials suspect that Kim suffered a serious health setback, possibly a stroke, in August. North Korea denies the speculation and has recently released a series of photos and news reports portraying Kim as active and healthy. Full Story

Chinese warship pays first visit to CambodiaPosted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 8:38amSIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (AFP) The Chinese navy's Zheng He became the first warship from the country to dock in Cambodia when it arrived Wednesday, signalling deeper military cooperation between the two nations. The ship, which carries more than 400 military personnel, will remain at Sihanoukville in the former communist country until the weekend, said a Chinese embassy statement after the Zheng He docked in Cambodia's main sea port. Full Story

Japan ex-defense official convicted in briberyPosted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 8:51amTOKYO A Japanese court sentenced a former senior defense official to 2 1/2 years in prison Wednesday for accepting bribes in exchange for his recommendation in government arms contracts, a court official said. Former Vice-Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya was also ordered to pay 12.5 million yen ($125,400) in penalties the value of the gifts and entertainment he pocketed, the Tokyo District Court official said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. Full Story

North Korea building base for bigger missilesPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 8:05amA new North Korean missile launch site under construction is designed to fire rockets even more advanced than those already capable of reaching the western U.S., South Korea said Tuesday. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee told parliament that construction on the new site on North Korea's west coast began eight years ago and is about 80 percent complete. The site in the village of Dongchang-ni appears to be designed to launch "a bigger-sized missile or satellite projectile" than rockets deployed from the North's east coast facility. Full Story

2 bombs in southern Thailand wound 71Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 8:06amSuspected Muslim insurgents detonated two bombs at a tea stall and shopping area Tuesday in insurgency-wracked southern Thailand, killing one person and wounding at least 71, police said. It was the largest attack in several months in Thailand's restive south, which has been gripped by a Muslim insurgency since 2004. The first blast appeared to target a meeting of 300 village chiefs and local officials from Narathiwat province who were leaving their monthly meeting when the explosion occurred in the building's parking lot, said police chief Maj. Gen. Surachai Suebsuk. The bomb was hidden inside a parked car. Full Story

Threat as Bali bombers face deathPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 8:07amThe US and Australian embassies in Indonesia have received bomb threats, as three Bali bombers await execution. A US embassy spokesman said the threats were being taken seriously and staff were working closely with police. Police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira said the threat was sent via a telephone text message to police, as was a hoax threat received on Monday. Full Story

Breakaway Tamil Tigers 'disarm'Posted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 8:09amA breakaway group of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers will be disarmed within months and integrated into the security forces, its leader has announced. Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan, widely known as Colonel Karuna, said that the rehabilitation of former cadres under his command had already begun. The former senior Tamil Tiger leader broke away from the rebels in 2004. Full Story

Two top state police officers slain in MexicoPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 8:33amA police commander was ambushed by gunmen as he left home early Monday, becoming the 12th officer slain in the central state of Mexico in five days. The spate of killings has claimed state and municipal officers in half a dozen cities and towns since Thursday. Full Story

Gunmen kill Mexican police chief in border cityPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 8:34amGunmen killed a state police chief in the border city of Nogales and three police detectives in central Guanajuato state, as a wave of drug-related violence batters Mexican security forces, authorities said Monday. In Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, authorities on Monday found the bullet-riddled bodies of six men in a vegetable warehouse along with more than 100 shell casings from assault rifles. Full Story

Payments to Informants in Colombia RevealedPosted on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 8:35amThe Drug Enforcement Administration has paid more than $3.3 million to four confidential informants in an investigation that led to the arrest of a man prosecutors called an international arms dealer, according to court documents. The man, Monzer al-Kassar, and a co-defendant, Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy, are scheduled to go on trial this week in Federal District Court in Manhattan. Full Story

1 kidnapped Chinese found alive in SudanPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 8:06amKHARTOUM, Sudan China's ambassador to Khartoum says Sudanese authorities have found one of the kidnapped Chinese oil workers alive in southwestern Sudan. Li Chengwen says the man was not injured and is on his way to the capital. He gave no more details. Full Story

Official: Suicide blast kills 8 in NW PakistanPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 8:07amPESHAWAR, Pakistan A suicide bomber attacked the convoy of a regional police chief in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing three police officers and five civilians, officials said. The attacker, who was on foot, hit the first vehicle in the convoy as it emerged from the police chief's residence in the city of Mardan. District mayor Himayat Ali said eight people died and another 15 were wounded. Full Story

Death toll in China coal mine rises to 23Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 8:12amBEIJING The death toll in a mine explosion in northern China this week has risen to 23, with six others missing and presumed dead, state media said Friday. The official Xinhua News Agency said rescuers found 20 more bodies Friday afternoon at the Yaotou mine in Shaanxi province. Thirty-six miners were in the pit at the time of the gas explosion Wednesday, and only seven managed to escape, the report said. Full Story

Sri Lanka claims bombing key Sea Tiger hideoutPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 9:16amCOLOMBO (AFP) Sri Lanka's air force on Friday bombed a suspected hideout of a top Tamil Tiger rebel while ground forces kept up a major offensive, the defence ministry said. Jet aircraft pounded a base of the "Sea Tiger" chief known as Soosai, the ministry said. It did not say if there were casualties. Full Story

Ecuador alleges 'clear' signs of CIA infiltrationPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 9:34amAn Ecuadorean presidential commission has concluded that U.S. intelligence services infiltrated the Andean nation's military and police and supported a cross-border incursion by Colombian troops that killed a top rebel commander. Following the attack on a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia camp inside Ecuador on March 1, President Rafael Correa accused the CIA of infiltrating his nation's intelligence services and appointed a commission to investigate. Full Story

Dominicans mull shooting drug-laden boats, planesPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 9:34amLegislators are debating a proposal that would let Dominican authorities shoot at drug-laden planes and boats that refuse to land or dock when ordered, despite threats from the U.S. to suspend anti-drug efforts if the law is approved. The proposal received preliminary approval late last year and senators are expected to debate it by year's end. Congress leader Julio Cesar Valentin urged lawmakers to approve the law and accused the United States - whose forces fire on suspected drug boats and flights - of "meddling" when it sent letters warning them of the consequences. Full Story

UN chief urges Hezbollah to be political partyPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 9:58amU.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants Syria and Iran to support the transformation of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group from an armed militia to a political party, a U.N. envoy said Thursday. Full Story

Settlers say they can prove possession of disputed buildingPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 9:59amThe attorney representing the alleged Jewish purchasers of a four-story building in Hebron declined on Thursday to respond to a question posed by the court the previous day. Instead, he submitted new evidence which he claimed proved not only that the Jewish company bought the building, but was also in possession of it when dozens of settlers occupied it in March 2007. Full Story

Israel demolishes dozens of West Bank shacksPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:00amThe Israeli army knocked down shacks in a West Bank village for the second straight day Thursday, leaving dozens of Palestinian Bedouin homeless, a United Nations official said. Full Story

Gaza crossings reopen after Kassam attack proved falsePosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:01amDefense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the crossings for the transferal of goods between Israel and Gaza reopened on Thursday, after an alleged Kassam rocket attack proved to be false. Earlier, it was feared that Palestinians had violated the fragile truce with Israel once more by firing a Kassam rocket from the Gaza Strip at the western Negev town of Sderot. Full Story

Shas source warns against NetanyahuPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:02amIt would be a mistake for Shas to forge close ties with Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud, a senior Shas source said Wednesday, dousing rumors of a Shas-Likud alliance heading into the election season. Full Story

Egypt eyes Mideast Quartet meeting Nov 9Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:03amEgypt is planning to host a meeting of the Middle East peace Quartet on November 9, the same day Palestinian groups begin reconciliation talks in Cairo, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday. Full Story

For War Widows, Hamas Recruits Army of HusbandsPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:05amThe grooms were resplendent in white shirts while the brides all wore black. At a sports stadium one recent October evening, thousands of Palestinians 300 newly married couples along with relatives and friends gathered for a mass wedding celebration, the 10th here this year courtesy of Hamas. Full Story

6 Belgians die in bus accident in south EgyptPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:05amA tourist bus overturned in southern Egypt, killing six Belgian tourists and injuring 26 other Belgian passengers early Friday, a security official said. The bus was en route from the southern city of Aswan to the ancient temple at Abu Simbel, a famous tourist attraction, the official said. He added that the driver was speeding and lost control, veering off the road and causing the bus to overturn several times. Full Story

Iraq gov't wants all US troops gone by end of 2011Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:06amIraq wants to eliminate any chance U.S. forces will stay here after 2011 under a proposed security pact and to expand Iraqi legal jurisdiction over U.S. troops until then, a close ally of the prime minister said Thursday. Full Story

Israel's Olmert to push for more Syria talksPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:07amIsrael's outgoing prime minister hopes to hold another round of peace talks with Syria even though elections are pending and he has only a few months remaining in office, officials said Friday. Israel and Syria have been holding indirect talks through Turkish mediators, but the contacts have been suspended for months because of political upheaval in Israel. Full Story

Austrian hostages freed in MaliPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:08amTwo Austrian hostages held for months by Islamic militants in the Sahara desert have been freed, officials in Mali and Austria say. The two, Andrea Kloiber, 43, and Wolfgang Ebner, 51, disappeared in February while on holiday in Tunisia. Full Story

Syrians stage mass anti-US rallyPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:09amThousands of people have marched through Damascus in protest at an alleged US raid on a village that Syria says killed eight people. Full Story

Glasgow flight skids off runwayPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:09amPassengers on a Thomas Cook chartered flight from Glasgow have escaped injury after their plane skidded off the runway at Lanzarote airport. Full Story

Eurozone inflation falls to 3.2%Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:09amInflation across the 15 nations that share the euro fell to an annual rate of 3.2% in October, raising the chances of a cut in interest rates next week. Full Story

Baghdad commuter rail skirts traffic, checkpointsPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:09amBaghdad commuters have a new way to bypass the city's checkpoints and congested, dusty streets with the launch of a commuter rail that travels 15 miles through Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods in the heart of the capital. Full Story

Kurds seen behind attacks on ChristiansPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:10amKurdish involvement is suspected in the recent wave of violence against Christians in Mosul, Gulf News has learnt. "Investigations have been completed and proved the involvement of Kurdish militias in the displacement and killing of Christians," Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki reportedly said during a discussion with Iraqi lawmakers, according to Osama Al Nojaifi, a deputy in the Iraqi parliament. Full Story

Berlin to limit anti-terrorist cooperationPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10:12amThe US led anti-terrorist campaign, Operation Enduring Freedom, will have to cope with reduced assistance from Berlin. Berlin -- The German cabinet agreed on Wednesday to limit the country's future contribution to the US led anti-terrorism campaign known as Operation Enduring Freedom (O.E.F), reducing forces from 1,400 to 800, the Defence Ministry said. Full Story

Suspected US missile strike kills 15 in PakistanPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 11:54amIntelligence officials say a suspected US missile strike has killed 15 people in northwest Pakistan. Full Story

Latin American, Caribbean Markets Struggle With World EconomyPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 1:06pmA new report says Latin America and the Caribbean will feel the impact of the global economic slowdown in lower demand for commodities and less money sent home by family members working elsewhere. The report was released Monday at this year's meeting in Mexico City of the U.N. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.Full_Story

Dominican Republic Deports Hundreds of Haitians Following ViolencePosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 1:11pmDominican authorities say 476 Haitian immigrants have been deported following a violent incident in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. The repatriation comes after an attack earlier in the week in the municipality of Neiba in which a Haitian immigrant allegedly stabbed and killed a Dominican man to steal his motorcycle. Dozens of locals attacked Haitian immigrants in retaliation, killing two and injuring nine others.Full_Story

Mexico Buys Back Government Debt to Ease LiquidityPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 1:16pmMexico moved to inject cash into its financial markets Thursday, saying it will buy back $3 billion in government bonds. Mexican finance officials made the announcement Thursday, saying the country will buy back the 10 to 30-year fixed rate bonds in order to strengthen liquidity in the cash-squeezed markets.Full_Story

The Worst ChoicePosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 1:20pmCuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro stated that developed capitalism hopes to continue plundering the world, as if the world could still stand it. In his Friday article entitled "The Worst Choice," Fidel Castro analyzes the consequences of the new line of credit created by the US Federal Reserve, warning that this way the economic power of the US currency is consolidated, a privilege granted to Bretton Woods.Full_Story

Bolivia Awaits US Trade RulingPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 1:22pmBolivians are awaiting the US government decision on widening the scope of the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). Facing suspension of benefits after the US Congress had authorized a six-month extension of the act for Bolivia and a year for Peru, Colombia and Ecuador, the Bolivian government said the decision is influenced by politics.

Raul Castro Welcomes Brazil PresidentPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 1:26pmuban President Raul Castro welcomed at the International Conference Center his Brazilian peer Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is carrying out a working visit to the island. After arriving at the "Jose Marti International Airport Thursday afternoon, the two statesmen held their first meeting. Full_Story

Ecuador alleges 'clear' signs of CIA infiltrationPosted on Friday, October 31, 2008 at 1:46pmAn Ecuadorian presidential commission has concluded that U.S. intelligence services infiltrated the Andean nation's military and police and supported a cross-border incursion by Colombian troops that killed a top rebel commander. Following the attack on a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia camp inside Ecuador on March 1, President Rafael Correa accused the CIA of infiltrating his nation's intelligence services and appointed a commission to investigate.Full_Story

Cyprus talks resume amid mistrustPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 7:57amCyprus' rival leaders have resumed talks on re-unifying the island, amid growing public pessimism that the negotiations could lead to a deal. Greek Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met in the UN buffer zone to discuss power-sharing plans. Full Story

Kurdish protests at Erdogan visitPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 7:58amTurkish police have clashed with demonstrators protesting against a visit by PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the country's restive south-east region. About 3,000 people took to the streets in the town of Yuksekova in Hakkari province, close to the Iraqi border. Full Story

Spain: government announces mortgage aidPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 8:00amSpain's government has unveiled a plan to help families struggling to make their mortgage payments and reward businesses that hire new workers amid the financial crisis. Full Story

UN accuses Colombian forces of killing civiliansPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 8:36amColombia's security forces are engaged in "widespread and systematic" killings of civilians that could constitute a crime against humanity, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said at the weekend. Navi Pillay, speaking in Bogota at the close of a fact-finding mission, said it was up to Colombia's government to investigate the killings but that international bodies could step in if it was "unable or unwilling" to do so. Full Story

US drug agents are spies, says BoliviaPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 8:38amEvo Morales, Bolivias leftwing president, has suspended the operations of US drug enforcement agency officials, accusing them of espionage. The move is the latest in a tit-for-tat decline in relations that has seen Bolivia expel the US ambassador and the US suspend critical trade preferences that could cost the Andean nation tens of thousands of jobs. Full Story

Chavez says to expropriate banks if financial crisis hits VenezuelaPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:04amVenezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday he would expropriate the country's banks if the current financial crisis hits his country. "If something similar comes to pass in Venezuela, you should not have the slightest doubt that I won't give a penny to the banks -- I'll expropriate them," said Chavez in the southeastern state of Barinas. Full Story

Persian Gulf States Asked to Increase Global Bailout FinancingPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:09amPrime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain on Sunday urged Persian Gulf nations to help bolster the International Monetary Funds bailout capacity, as leaders around the world spent another weekend trying to extinguish the brush fires of the economic crisis. Full Story

Hundreds of Palestinians hold protest in HebronPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:10amHundreds of Palestinians staged a protest in the center of Hebron, witnesses said Sunday afternoon. The demonstrators were calling on Hebron residents to reclaim the downtown area where IDF troops guard several Jewish enclaves. Full Story

New Arab Knesset party in the makingPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:11amA new Arab political party is emerging that plans to deal specifically with the problems of the Arab sector and promote its advancement ahead of February 10's general elections. Full Story

Egypt dismisses Lieberman's warning of warPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:12amEgyptian government officials and political experts dismissed comments made over the weekend by Israel Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman that suggested that Cairo is merely waiting for an opportunity to start a war with Israel. Full Story

'Understandings' still in reach despite looming electionsPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:13amFuture Movement leader Saad Hariri said on Sunday that the competition between his March 14 coalition and the March 8 grouping in next year's parliamentary elections would not eliminate the possibility of "political understandings" between the two camps. Full Story

Hizbullah slams Israel's plan to build museum on Muslim gravesPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:14amHizbullah lashed out at Israel on Sunday for allowing the construction of a so-called "Museum of Tolerance" on the site of a Muslim cemetery in Occupied Jerusalem. Full Story

In Iraq's Diyala Province, US forces anticipate exitPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:15amThe US is actively transferring ownership of Iraq's troubled Diyala Province, using a tough-love approach to force Iraq to take on greater control ahead of any deal that would put limits on the American military next year. Full Story

Barak: Livni 'honest' but unfit to leadPosted on Monday, November 3, 2008 at 10:16amTwo weeks after signing a coalition agreement with Kadima leader Tzipi Livni, Labor chairman Ehud Barak said on Saturday that she is unfit to lead the country. Trailing Kadima and Likud by as much as 20 Knesset seats in the polls, Barak has gone on the offensive and challenged Livni and Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu to debates. Full Story

Syrian riot police form ring around U.S. EmbassyPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7:16amHundreds of Syrian riot police ringed the closed U.S. Embassy here Thursday as tens of thousands of people gathered about a mile away for a government-orchestrated protest to denounce a deadly U.S. raid near the Iraqi border. Full Story

Car bomb explodes near Spanish universityPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7:17amA car bomb exploded in a car park near the University of Navarre in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona on Thursday, a regional government official said. Full Story

Report: Turkish ship hijacked off SomaliaPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7:36amPirates have hijacked a Turkish freighter carrying 20 crew members and a load of iron ore in the waters off Somalia, Turkey's maritime authorities said Thursday. Full Story

Suicide attack at Afghan ministryPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7:49amA suicide bomber has blown himself up inside an Afghan ministry in Kabul, killing himself and four other people. A further 23 people were wounded in the attack, police say, which took place at the information and culture ministry in the centre of the capital. The building was badly damaged, with broken glass and office equipment scattered over the area. Full Story

Japan unveils stimulus package, stock soar after US rate cutPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7:51amJapan's Prime Minister Taro Aso on Thursday unveiled a 277 billion dollar package to stimulate the world's second largest economy as stock markets soared off the back of an interest rate cut in the US. As a slew of disappointing company results attested to the impact of the global financial crisis, the French government said that economic growth had slowed dramatically while house prices in Britain slumped by record levels. There was better news however in Europe's largest economy, with Germany's unemployment rate dropping below three million for the first time in 16 years. Full Story

At least 56 killed in blasts in northeast IndiaPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 7:53amA series of coordinated blasts tore through India's volatile northeast on Thursday, killing at least 56 people, wounding more than 300 and setting police on a frantic search for any unexploded bombs, officials said. One bomb exploded near the office of the Assam state's top government official in the largest blast, leaving bodies and mangled cars and motorcycles strewn across the road.

Bystanders dragged the wounded and dead to cars that took them to hospitals. Police officers covered the burned remains of the dead with white sheets, leaving them in the street. Full Story

Thai protests for Thaksin returnPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 8:02amThousands of anti-government protesters in Thailand have been rallying outside the British embassy to press for the extradition of Thaksin Shinawatra. The former prime minister was convicted in absentia last week of violating conflict of interest rules. Tension between pro and anti-government groups has been heightened by a grenade attack on Thursday morning, targeting guards for the anti-government camp. Full Story

Taiwan president says he will meet Chinese envoyPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 8:05amTaiwan's leader said he will meet with a top Chinese envoy next week in his role as the island's president, as he attempts to allay fears that such high-level contacts will compromise Taiwan's sovereignty. Ma Ying-jeou's comments, made in a television interview Wednesday, were part of the government's media campaign ahead of a visit by Chen Yunlin, chairman of the mainland's semiofficial Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait. Chen's visit, which begins Monday, was clouded when a deputy was attacked by protesters in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan during an informal visit last week. The deputy was lightly injured and left Taiwan two days early. Full Story

Seventeen wounded by Spanish university car bombPosted onThursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:03amA car bomb exploded in a University of Navarre car park in northern Spain on Thursday, slightly wounding 17 people, after a warning call in the name of Basque separatist rebels ETA, the government said. Full Story

UK: Explosives plot ex-soldier jailedPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:07amA former soldier has been jailed for six-and-a-half years for his part in a plot to sell Army explosives to associates in the criminal underworld. Unemployed Andrew Quinn, 26, of Glasgow, pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to possess explosives. Full Story

Beilin to quit Israeli politicsPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:32amThe veteran left-wing Israeli politician, Yossi Beilin, has said he will retire from political life after the general election due in February. Full Story

Syrians gather at US Embassy to protest raidPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:33amHundreds of Syrian riot police ringed the closed US Embassy in Damascus on Thursday as tens of thousands of people gathered about a mile away for a government-orchestrated protest to denounce a deadly US raid near the Iraqi border. Full Story

Warning on 'dire' Iraq conditionsPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:36amThe Red Cross is warning that despite some improvements in security in Iraq, the condition of the country's infrastructure remains dire. Full Story

Militants fire rocket from GazaPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:37amPalestinian militants have fired a rocket at Israel from the Gaza Strip, in violation of a four-month-old truce. Full Story

US commander wants better police for Iraqi cityPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:39amA senior U.S. commander, acknowledging that Iraq's now most violent city has been neglected for too long, says that only well-trained police rather than military forces could ensure Mosul's long-term security. Full Story

Blast near Baghdad market kills 1Posted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:41amA car bomb exploded Thursday near a market in north Baghdad, killing one person and wounding five, police said. U.S. and Iraqi troops sealed off the area near the Tobchi market shortly after the blast, which occurred about 11 a.m. Full Story

Relaxed lifestyles show Baghdad extremists waningPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:44amEngineering student Haifaa Salman has discarded the Islamic head cover she started wearing two years ago after militants threatened to "punish" her if she kept showing up at college with her hair uncovered. Full Story

Israel sets election date of Feb. 10Posted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 9:44amIsrael's parliament speaker has set national elections for Feb. 10. Benny Shahino, a spokesman for speaker Dalia Itzik, says she has informed parliamentary officials of the election date. Full Story

Italian Public Schools Close as Teachers Strike, Students RiotPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 10:48amItalian schools closed their doors today as teachers began a national strike and marched side by side with angry students to protest cuts in education funding. Full Story

Colombia fires 20 army officers over civilian deathsPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 3:07pmReporting from Bogota, Colombia -- The Colombian Defense Ministry fired 20 army officers Wednesday, including three generals, in connection with the deaths of a dozen youths who allegedly were killed and falsely identified as guerrillas slain in combat. The firings revolve around the disappearance over the last year of youths from Bogota's Soacha suburb, a sprawling working-class neighborhood rife with crime and unemployment. Full_Story

41 people allegedly linked to Mexican drug cartels are indictedPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 3:11pmFederal authorities in Atlanta announced grand jury indictments Wednesday against 41 people allegedly connected to violent Mexican drug cartels, including a former deputy sheriff from Texas stopped with nearly $1 million in cash hidden in his pickup on a Georgia highway. The trafficking operation moved hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and marijuana from the Southwest border to Atlanta, authorities said. It also involved extensive money laundering operations in which millions of dollars in drug proceeds allegedly were funneled through U.S. banks back to Mexico. Full_Story

Cuba expects new US president to lift embargoPosted on Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 3:30pmCuba's foreign minister says his government expects the next U.S. president to respond to overwhelming international demand and lift the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba. After the U.N. General Assembly supported repeal of the economic and commercial embargo by its highest margin ever - 185 to 3 with 2 abstentions - on Wednesday, Felipe Perez Roque said in an interview that the winner of the Nov. 4 election should heed the message.Full Story

About Me

For many years involved with intelligence and security matters in Iran with significant access at top levels during the rule of the Shah, until early 1979. Currently an Iran SME (subject matter expert), analyst/commentator, and multi-linguist.